Beyblade Metal Warriors
by LunarStarEclipse
Summary: According to the bedtime story, there are seven bladers blessed with an elemental power who fought against this evil that wanted to wipe the world of its existence. A great battle was fought, almost causing the world's demise. Now, nearly a year after Nemesis, the gang finds themselves thrown into a new battle, battling as the sand continues to fall in the hourglass.
1. Prologue

**Alright, so this story is a rewrite of my original one that I posted, Metal Fight Beyblade: Metal Warriors. It's been...months since I last wrote something, but mainly because I was really losing it. I didn't like how I wrote the draft version and my OC characters felt...not good to me. Not to mention it was so rushed. So, I planned this story out more carefully and hope it turns out much better. More focused on adventure/friend genre that the romance I originally attended (I subconsciously forgot about it), but there will be some romance as..."undertones" almost.**

**Also, I am not a constant updater! I'll update whenever I finish a chapter.**

**Disclaimer:**** Of course, I don't own MFB. I also do not own Ryan Steel, who is Thunder Crush's OC. I only own my very OCs and this plot. (And, if anyone happens to ask, I will _not_ be accepting anymore OCs unless I need them!)**

* * *

_The sun was staring down at the city, giving off such high temperatures that more than half of the bustling Chinese city stayed inside their homes or buildings for the cool air. The only people who were willing to go outside and face the heat were the ones who had someplace important to go. A kid's burger joint is a good example._

_There weren't too many people hanging around inside the restaurant, but there was enough kids playing around in the indoor playground to cause enough noise for a certain conversation to be difficult to overhear. A Chinese ten-year-old boy was eating a hamburger and swinging his legs as he sat with a twenty-year-old man. The man was looking at him like he was waiting for an answer._

_"So you really need a kid like me to help out in your organization?" the kid asked after swallowing a mouthful of fries._

_The man nodded and leaned forward with his arms on the table. "We need your skills. There's no one else who would be more fitting for the role."_

_The kid thought about it for a while longer. "Sure. It sounds like fun," he finally said, grinning with a mischievous look in his eyes._

_The man smirked. He stood up and held out a hand for the ten-year-old to shake. "Welcome to Black Earth, Ryan."_

**Metal Fight Beyblade: Metal Warriors**

**Prologue**

**Mission**

The ten-year-old Chinese kid was sprawled out on a bed, completely bored out of his mind. He had bright yellow eyes and spiky blonde hair streaked with red. He was dressed in dark blue shorts with yellow stars on it, dark blue boots, and an orange T-shirt. Around his waist was an orange jacket with a blue stripe going down the middle. On the side of the jacket were purple smoke bombs. Around his neck was a golden star necklace and he had sunglasses propped up on his head. His blue and yellow blader belt held a grappling hook next to his launcher holder.

Ryan was eating pizza and watching Beyblade battles on TV, but he was getting tired of it. He groaned and stretched out his hands. "Been here for nearly four months and all I ever do is watch TV or train," he muttered angrily as he sat up and closed the TV. "When am I going to get a mission?" he yelled. Then he fell back on his bed, glaring at the ceiling.

Ever since the day he was recruited, he'd been living in Black Earth's China base.

All he'd been doing was moving around to Japan for short excursions, but it wasn't any different. Sure, it was fun bey battling some of the other stronger members and learning combat, but that was when he was first starting out. Now he's just bored at the never-changing routine.

"Maybe I can prank one of the Generals. They all need to lighten up anyways_,_" he thought out loud.

He thought about which of the three Black Earth Generals he would prank first, but a knock to his door broke his concentration.

He got up from his bed and went over to open the door.

"What do you want?" he asked, slightly annoyed, but then he saw who it was. He looked up to see the black-clad nineteen-year-old General, Sorrow, staring down at him. Ryan blinked. "Oh, it's you Sorrow."

Sorrow was almost twice as tall as Ryan with black eyes and black hair. He was dressed all in black and he was completely covered except for the top part of his face. He kind of reminded Ryan of how a ninja would dress, but he also had a hooded cloak that casts a shadow over his face.

"Nightmare is calling us to the boardroom," Sorrow told him before stalking off.

Ryan blinked before grinning. "Really?" he asked and he followed the black-clad man. "What does he need?"

Sorrow didn't answer him, causing him to pout. "Did he send you to get me?" Still no answer and Ryan gave up. It really annoys him how Sorrow rarely speaks.

* * *

The boardroom was dimly lit with windows covered by half-open blinds and a steel rectangular table that had ten chairs—four on the left and right and one on both ends. A large computer screen was on the left side with a projector on the ceiling. Nightmare sat on the chair on the left, next to the end closest to the window. He looked at them when they came in.

Similar to Sorrow, Nightmare wore a lot of black. He wore the same outfit, except his shirt was dark red and had a sleeveless coat instead of a cloak. Ryan felt more comfortable around Nightmare compared to Sorrow and Curse—the third General—but sometimes Nightmare's red eyes can be unnerving.

"You're finally here," Nightmare said as he grabbed a remote and pressed a button. "Now I can give you two your mission."

Ryan gasped in delight as the projector shot an image onto the screen. "I'm getting a mission? You're not kidding, right?"

Nightmare smirked. "Of course not. You've wanted a mission for so long. Also, this is going to tie around you…"

"Huh?" Ryan asked and he looked at the screen. His eyes widened at the familiar mountain temple. "Hey, isn't that—"

"Your mission is to steal an artifact from Beylin Temple," Nightmare interrupted. "There is a valuable ancient artifact of Chaos that would help our side greatly."

The image changed and an image of a necklace's medallion took its place. The medallion was golden with a bronze wavy 'X' that split it into fours with three diamond-shaped grey stones on the top and bottom and one on the left and right sides, though they were bigger.

Ryan blinked. "That's the artifact? It doesn't look like much."

"Oh, trust me, this would help greatly," Nightmare told them. Then he smirked widely. "This necklace would help with strengthening your sensory abilities."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

Nightmare nodded and got up. "This is a really simple mission. You'll both head out in two days to Beylin Temple, infiltrating it at night. The necklace should be hidden underground. Do this quietly and quickly and make sure you aren't spotted. You are not allowed to leave until you get that necklace, understand?"

Ryan and Sorrow nodded. Nightmare then dismissed them and he was left alone in the dim room. He closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair with a small smirk on his lips.

* * *

The night was quiet except for the choppy sound of helicopter blades. A small black helicopter was flying through a foggy mountain area. Inside the helicopter were two people (not counting the pilot.)

Ryan was staring out the window, grinning in excitement. "I can't believe my very first mission is going to start! I can't wait!" Ryan exclaimed. He turned to the Sorrow. "Hey, you've been quiet this whole time. Feeling anxious?"

Sorrow just glanced at him, not saying a word. Ryan pouted. "Man, you're such a buzz kill!"

He turned back to the window. He felt the helicopter beginning to descend slowly. He started to jump in his seat and his grin got wider and happier. "Hurry, hurry, hurry!" he shouted, making Sorrow's eye twitch in annoyance.

The helicopter landed near the rocky bridge. Ryan got up and ran out with Sorrow following him in a much slower pace. He jumped out and looked forward at the temple on the other side of the bridge. The temple was illuminated by the outdoor lights, making it look almost eerie from where he stood. Snow littered the floor and a cold breeze blew, making the ten-year-old kid hug his jacket.

Ryan's excitement warmed him up, however, and he began to jump up and down. "Come on! Come on! Come on! Let's get going to Beylin Temple, Sorrow!" he shouted.

Sorrow sighed and grabbed Ryan's collar before he could run off. "Be quiet," he said, speaking for the first time since they left for the mission. "The whole point of this mission is to get that artifact without attracting too much attention! This isn't some kiddy game."

Ryan pouted again. "Jeez, Sorrow. What got you all moody?" Sorrow's eye twitched again at the comment and Ryan smirked. "I know it isn't some kiddy game," he continued. "I'll complete this mission without a worry! Just stand back and watch."

He freed himself from Sorrow's grasp and began to jog through the bridge. Sorrow narrowed his eyes at the ten-year-old. "Why me out of all people?" he muttered before following the kid.

* * *

It was a silent walk to Beylin Temple. The 4000-year-old temple was empty at the entrance except for the piled snow that was mostly shoved out to the sides. Their feet made footsteps in the thin snow.

Ryan scanned the area and said, "There are some people here, but they're sleeping for sure." He blew hot air out and watched the white steam dissipate. He shivered and hugged his jacket around tighter. "Man, it's really cold. The necklace is underground, right?"

Sorrow nodded and he started walking ahead.

Ryan jogged after him. He followed Sorrow through the hallway and stared at the decorations that were up on or against the wall. There were mainly scrolls with Chinese symbols, paintings, and vases, so he wasn't too interested.

"Do you know which door it is?" Ryan questioned, speaking quietly.

"No," Sorrow admitted.

"Eh? Then where are we going?"

"Nightmare told me that you'll know when we pass it. That's your ability, right?"

Ryan shrugged and stopped talking.

They continued walking through the hall, but Ryan wasn't attracted to any of the doors. They reached the end of the hall where it split into three other hallways: forward, left, and right.

"Which way first?" Ryan asked, but Sorrow just looked at him blankly. Ryan puffed his cheeks and studied the three hallways. He felt nothing from the middle path, so he immediately crossed that out. He looked left and right, glancing back and forth. Then he suddenly felt energy flowing in through the right side. Ryan felt goose-bumps on his arms. He pointed that direction and said, "I…feel something coming from that way. It must be the necklace."

Sorrow nodded and walked that way with Ryan right next to him.

Ryan noticed that this hallway was short and had no doors, but the energy was surely coming from here. They reached the end and came face-to-face with a giant, old-looking, tapestry. It depicted a war with both sides wielding different weapons—swords, spears, bow and arrows, and cannons—along with beys flying through the air and some dead bodies. Above the battlefield were a joined sun and moon and seven spheres that circled around a single larger sphere.

"Is this…?" Ryan muttered and he walked forward to the tapestry. He pulled the tapestry off and it fell to the floor, revealing a sliding door behind it. He slid the door open and the flow of energy he was feeling flew through him like an angry wind.

The two Black Earth members looked down, only able to see the first five steps. But then torches lit up on the sides, giving out light. Ryan whistled and said, "That's a long way down."

They began walking down the seemingly endless staircase. The flowing energy was getting stronger as they went deeper, making Ryan shiver in excitement. It felt powerful, yet dark.

They didn't know how long it took them, but knew it wasn't more than ten minutes. They reached the bottom, which appeared to be just another hallway. Ryan scrunched up his nose at the mucky smell. The walls were made of stone, but they looked cracked and were covered with old stains. Ryan couldn't tell if it was mud or dried blood, but it was old.

"Seems like they chose the right place to continue looking four-thousand years old in this temple," Ryan grumbled as they continued walking.

* * *

They didn't have to walk for long. Bathing under a dim light was a golden necklace with a circular medallion. It was smeared with dirt and dust, but it didn't seem to be tarnished or damaged in any way. Ryan could sense it emanating the powerful wave of energy and from Sorrow's expression, he could too.

Ryan sensed for any traps, but there didn't appear to be any. "Can I just take it?" At Sorrow's nod, Ryan grabbed the medallion and placed it around his neck. When nothing happened, Ryan grinned and shouted, "Mission Complete!"

Sorrow's eye twitched. "We still have to get out," he told him, dampening Ryan's joy.

"You couldn't just let me be, could you?"

Then he suddenly perked up. He looked up towards the doorway and said, "I think I heard something up there."

Sorrow started leaping up the stairs, surprising Ryan. He immediately followed in close speed with hand clutched around one of his smoke bombs. When Ryan got closer to the door, he heard footsteps coming down the hall and began to see shadows.

"The door's open!" he heard a teenage boy shout.

Ryan threw a smoke bomb out the door before they could be seen.

It was at that moment they made their way through the smoke, narrowly avoiding the group of Beylin Temple's bladers, though, Ryan suddenly sensed more people coming from the middle hallway.

"Hey, Sorrow." Ryan exclaimed, "Looks like we've got company up ahead."

"..." Sorrow's expression didn't change, taking out his black launcher and quickly attaching his to it. "How pointless." He simply said, launching his bey at the wall, creating a giant hole.

They leaped out into the snow and ran out at top speed. Ryan heard beys being aimed, but Sorrow's bey blocked them and they managed to exit.

The helicopter came to them when they neared the rocky bridge and a rope ladder was dropped down. Catching his Bey Sorrow and his partner grabbed onto the ladder as the helicopter flew off. When they were a good distance away, they climbed up and Ryan collapsed on his chair.

"Man!" he exclaimed, grinning. "That was so cool! And here I thought it would be a mission without any chase. That was so fun! And we got the necklace, Sorrow!"

Sorrow sat on his chair and barely glanced at him. Ryan pouted again. "Oh, come on! Silent treatment again?" he complained, but gave up and chose to study the pendant. He crunched up his nose at the dirt and tried wiping the grim off with his jacket. The dust came off easily, but some of the mud stains stayed, covering parts of the stones.

He noticed that the flow of energy wasn't as strong as before, but it was still there. "This is actually pretty cool," he muttered. "Help me with my abilities, huh? I wonder how exactly."

He yawned and lied down with his hands behind his head. "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when we get back to the base, Sorrow." He fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes, feeling the adrenaline wash away.


	2. Gifts

Hyoma was becoming seriously worried about his furry childhood friend. He watched Hokuto pacing back and forth with his gaze focused at the thin layer of snow on the floor. At first, Hyoma figured that Hokuto was just still jumpy from the whole Nemesis crisis—which ended about ten months ago—but Hyoma soon realized that it wasn't from that. Whatever the real reason was, he knew Hokuto didn't want to speak about it.

He soon got dizzy from watching Hokuto pacing, so he turned away and got up. "I'll be out patrolling," he said, but Hokuto didn't hear him. Hyoma sighed at how normal that was becoming.

He turned around and started to walk, but he only took three steps when he noticed a tall figure, about twenty meters away. Hyoma blinked when the man's appearance caught his attention. The man couldn't have been older than his mid-thirties with neck-length black wavy hair and sunglasses covering his eyes. He wore a long, open white robe like a wizard's, but Hyoma could still see his badly buttoned blue shirt and bell bottom pants.

"_People actually dress like that?_" Hyoma thought, frowning. When did he even come?

He heard Hokuto's pacing coming to a stop as they both stared at the odd-looking man. "Who are you?" Hokuto barked when the figure had gotten closer.

The man didn't answer, but was rather surveying the buildings. "Ah, so this is Koma Village!" they heard him say. "It looks really nice, though it seriously lacks some people."

He walked past Hyoma, patting his shoulder without saying a thing. Then he walked past Hokuto, saying, "You are a cute little puppy."

Hokuto growled and shouted, "I am full-grown, you outsider! Who are you?"

The man continued walking. They figured that he was ignoring them. Hyoma took a step towards him while reaching for his launcher. "Hey, you! I don't know who you are, but you are not welcomed here!" he said, aiming his launcher.

The man then stopped, but didn't turn around. "Oh, yeah," he muttered as if he just remembered something. "I didn't introduce myself, did I?"

Hokuto and Hyoma blinked. Then the man turned around, his hand adjusting the sunglasses on his face. He walked back towards them with a hyper grin. "I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts, I completely forgot about being civil! Ha! I forgot why I came here for a moment too! The girls would be so angry. I am Dr. Cosmo and I came to ta—"

He stepped on a patch of half-melted snow and slipped, landing painfully on his face. Hokuto and Hyoma gapped at him.

"Umm…Are you alright?" Hyoma asked, feeling a load of awkwardness being dumped on him.

Cosmo immediately got up and adjusted his glasses. "Of course I am! That was nothing compared to what I deal with on the daily basis." He laughed shortly and loudly, freaking out the other two. He abruptly stopped his laugh and continued talking. "I have something for you two…Hokuto and Hyoma, correct?"

Hyoma took a step back. "H-How do you know our names?"

Cosmo waved his hand. "I know everybody's names! These are gifts for you and your friends. Think of it as a late Christmas present from Santa Cosmo!"

He took out a sack from beneath his robe and tossed it towards Hyoma, who caught it and immediately looked inside. He raised an eyebrow as he took out an eyeglass case, flipping the top open with his thumb. "Umm…I don't need glasses," he told him, putting it back into the sack.

"Oh, you will," Cosmo said. "Don't you think they look great? It took me such a long time to make them!" he shouted, stretching out the 'o' in long. "You'll need it for the mission I'm giving you."

"Mission?" they asked.

Hokuto shook his head. "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you seriously think that we'll listen to someone we don't know?"

Cosmo turned so his side was facing them and looked up at the cloudy sky. He adjusted his sunglasses again and told him, "Wherever there is light, there is always dark! Discord must accompany peace! That is part of the deal they had made. Don't you agree?" he asked, leaning towards them with his sunglasses flashing.

They sweat-dropped. But before they could answer, Cosmo continued talking. "Whether you do or not is up to you. However, we have to find the Warriors! I am sure Hokuto knows about that little legend."

Hokuto gasped, his irises shrinking. Hyoma looked at him worriedly. "Hokuto, what is he talking about?" he asked, but a feeling a familiarity filled him. "The…Warriors?" he muttered.

Cosmo laughed. "Ha! It's not yet time to get comfortable, bladers! Because discord is always with peace! They would make sure of that! But this next event is apparently inevitable, so you have to get ready. The world is at stake once again, but more so!"

Hyoma gasped and dropped the bag, causing Cosmo to shriek. Hokuto and Hyoma jumped back, clutching their ears in pain as Cosmo picked up the bag.

"Be careful with these, boy! They might be in cases, but glass is glass! Treat them with care!" Cosmo chastised, while hugging the sack to his face.

"So-Sorry!" Hyoma stammered, taking another step back. "_Man, who is this guy?_"

Cosmo accepted his apology and continued. "These glasses are going to help you find the Warriors! Warriors have a special, animalistic blader aura when they battle, but you can only see it with these glasses." Then he tapped his chin as a thought occurred to him. "Well, actually, there might be an exception to that animalistic look, though it is still unique."

"Special…blader aura?" Hyoma's feeling of recognition was growing stronger.

"Yes, boy! I only made thirty, so you should hand them out wisely. Put them on and it will help you see a person's blader aura…spirit I think is what you people use. Though, since not everyone has a blader spirit or is usually seen only during battle, it's best to use them while observing battles. Make sense?"

"Ah…yeah. But what is this whole thing for?"

Cosmo waved his hand again and handed him the sack. "Hokuto will explain all he can. Though, I would have figured that you knew all of the legends that are held in this village. I have to get going. This cold is not good for my skin."

He walked past them, humming. Though, before he got too far, he came to a stop and turned around. He shouted, "There should be seven of them, but where you can find them…That part of the fun will come later!"

Hyoma gapped at him, but then there was a short gust of wind that blew straight at them, causing Hyoma and Hokuto close their eyes due to the coldness. When they looked back, Cosmo was gone.

At first, Hyoma was perplexed, but then he got angry. "_Fun_?" Hyoma shouted. "This is going to be _fun_? What is going on anyways and who was that man? Is the world really at stake again, Hokuto?"

Hokuto sighed and looked down. "I don't know much about this legend, but it should be enough to help us," he said, but then he muttered to himself: "It was foolish of me to believe that this was just an old bedtime story."

Hyoma heard him. "What do you mean? How serious is it?" Then he paused and asked, "Bedtime story…you don't mean the—"

Hokuto interrupted him. "Pack your stuff, because we are heading to Gingka and the others. We'll leave as soon as possible, understand?"

"What? W-Wait!" But Hyoma was ignored as Hokuto jogged away.

* * *

Ryo was staring out the window, deep in thought. Hikaru was standing next to him, feeling a bit too nervous to break the silence that was in the room. She glanced down at her tablet, wishing she had some work to do. She isn't used to Ryo being quiet, even if it was as long as fifteen minutes, but she had nothing to say.

But, to her luck, he spoke first. "It's been two and a half weeks since that heist, but yet they haven't found any clues to who the thief could be."

Hikaru blinked, but understood what he meant. "You mean the one at Beylin Temple? What importance does that necklace have, Director?"

Ryo leaned forward on his seat and placed his elbows on the table with his hands folded in front of his chin. "I don't know much, but it's an ancient artifact that's been around before Beylin Temple was built. It's important to them."

"Eh? That's a really long time. But what I meant was…why would someone want to steal it?"

Ryo shook his head. "It's possible that it would be worth millions. It is ancient after all…" He opened his eyes and focused his sharp gaze straight ahead. "Or maybe it has to do with them…" he mumbled.

Hikaru cocked her head. "What was that, Director?"

Ryo blinked and shook his head again. "Nothing. Is there anything else that we have to do? Paperwork, complaints, updates, or anything?"

Hikaru stared at him, surprised that he's asking for work. "Umm...I don't think so."

Ryo let out a sigh and stayed quiet. Hikaru started to feel nervous again. "Umm…I think I'll go and see if anybody needs help," she said, her fingers tapping the back of her tablet.

Ryo nodded and she left quickly, letting out a relieved sigh.

When she was gone, Ryo leaned his chair back and stared up at the ceiling. "That story…It can't be true, can it? And after all the progress we made…"

* * *

"Go, Sagittario!"

"Not so fast, Kenta! Pegasus!"

Sagittario and Pegasus clashed head-on, sending sparks of energy out, but they seemed to be equal. Kenta and Gingka smirked at each other. "You've gotten better, Kenta!" Gingka told him. "But I'm not going to lose to you! Come on Pegasus!"

Pegasus put more power into its attack and Sagittario was sent flying. "Right back at you, Gingka!" Kenta shouted.

Sagittario regained its balance and landed near the edge before charging at Pegasus. The two beys collided again, causing a small explosion. This time, Sagittario gained the upper hand and starting pushing Pegasus towards the edge. "Just a little more, Sagittario!"

"I'm not going to let that happen! Fight back, Pegasus!"

Pegasus held its ground right and swerved around Sagittario, attacking it from behind. This time, Sagittario was the one being pushed towards the edge. But it pushed Pegasus back and ran. Pegasus quickly chased it.

"Pegasus, Barrage Mode!"

Pegasus's energy ring shifted and it caught up with Sagittario, delivering a flurry of powerful attacks.

"Hold your ground!" Kenta shouted, clutching his fists and teeth. "Escape it, Sagittario!"

Madoka, who was watching them from the stands, smiled and glanced down at her laptop. "They surely don't hold back, do they?" She giggled. "I can't blame them, I guess. This past year has been so busy and stressful, but yet they didn't slack off in their bey training," she said as she read the data of the two beys.

She glanced back up when she heard Kenta yell, "Special move: Diving Arrow!"

Sagittario leaped up, wrapping itself in flames, before turning downwards and aiming straight at Pegasus. "Go now!" Kenta shouted, throwing a punch.

Gingka clenched his teeth. "Not a chance!" he said before shouting, "Final Drive Mode!" As Pegasus's rubber flat tip touched the stadium, he said, "Cosmic Tornado!"

Pegasus's speed increased and it started spinning in a circle. The two beys collided and a blast of energy erupted up from the bey dish. But as soon as it did, Gingka, Kenta, and Madoka froze, feeling a shock of electricity run through their entire body, paralyzing them.

Their vision blanked out for a second before they saw a rapid scene in their minds. They saw a war with people fighting to the death in a wasteland and beys destroying one another. They heard the sounds of beys, blades clashing, and the cries of defiance or despair. A laugh came along with psychotic eyes, breaking the scene of the war like a bad Wi-Fi connection. Then the war disappeared, replaced by a scene of the wasteland being broken apart by lightning. It turned black again as they saw a quick image of a WBBA building and a blue ensign flag with a seven-pointed star on the lower left side and a group of five white stars on the right.

Their vision blanked out again, but this time, their feeling of paralysis disappeared with it and they could move again. Their vision came back just in time to see the blast of energy fade out, revealing that both beys were still spinning, albeit a bit slowly.

Madoka blinked while clutching the side of her head. "Wh-What…was that?" she exclaimed, her eyes growing wide as she remembered what she saw.

Gingka and Kenta heard her and recalled their beys. They looked at each other, confused. "D-Did you…I felt paralyzed and then I saw something…" Kenta said, clutching his bey. He didn't know what it meant, but he felt some dread creeping into his chest.

Gingka looked down at Pegasus. "That wasn't from the battle, was it…?" He shook his head, finding that thought crazy. "That can't be. But…what was it? That war…the lightning striking the earth…" He looked up and glanced at Madoka and Kenta. "Did we just see the same daydream?"

"Daydream?" Madoka asked, incredulous. "I don't think it is possible to have the same one at the same time, Gingka! But…I did see it." She suddenly shivered.

There was a sudden ring, making them jump. Madoka looked down at her laptop, seeing a video call, and let out a sigh of relief. She pressed 'answer' and then the image of Hikaru and Ryo appeared. Madoka blinked again, seeing Ryo's serious face and Hikaru's anxious expression. "What happened?" she asked, her short moment of relief disappearing.

Gingka and Kenta hurriedly came to her side. Gingka frowned. "Father, did something happen?"

Then suddenly, Hyoma appeared, surprising them. "Hyoma?" they shouted.

He smiled at them. "Hey guys," he said before frowning. "You guys have to go to WBBA immediately. Are Kyoya and Benkei with you? They should come and hear Hokuto's explanation."

They stared. "What are you talking about, Hyoma?" Gingka asked.

Hyoma shook his head. "I'm about as confused as you are. But something came up. If what that weird guy said was true, then we got another big problem in our hands. And it has got something to do with that bedtime story we used to love, Gingka."

Gingka's eyes widened. Hyoma ended the video call, leaving the trio gaping at a blank screen.

"B-Big p-problem?" Madoka stammered, closing her laptop. "Is he serious? Do you know what he is talking about, Gingka?"

Gingka looked down. "I think…but it's just a bedtime story…"

Kenta suddenly came to a thought. "It might have to do with the thing we saw, Gingka!" he said, smiling slightly.

Gingka shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He then let out a sigh. "I'll get Kyoya and Benkei. I ran into them earlier, so you two just go ahead."

Madoka and Kenta watched him run off, their anxiety doubling as he went out of sight. They glanced at each other.

"He knows something, that's for sure," Madoka muttered before turning around. "Let's just do what he says. Kenta?"

Kenta nodded, though a bit reluctantly. "Alright."

The two walked off, not noticing the tiny, glowing spark of light that was behind them. It zipped back and forth between the two of them, small bolts of energy sparking out, before disappearing as soon as they stepped out of the stadium building.

* * *

A sixteen-year-old, silver-eyed girl was sitting on a tree branch, gazing up at the treetop where barely any light shone through. She yawned and closed her eyes. "Geez, where did you go, you old creep," she muttered, opening her eyes halfway.

Then another sixteen-year-old sat in front of the first, her golden eyes filled with anger. She held out a yellow slip of paper and said, "That idiot of a doctor is so dead."

The first girl took the paper and read what was written on it. She crumpled it after she finished reading it, her lips pulling back slightly in a small snarl. She stuffed the paper into her pocket and leaned back on the tree trunk, arms crossed. "We can't do anything now, can we? That old creep…Just what was he thinking?"

The second girl scoffed and leaned back slightly. "Even _I_ can't keep up with that mind of his. I guess we can only let this play out now, huh?"

She earned a small hum in response. With an irritated sigh, the golden-eyed girl jumped down from the tree and left.

The first girl stared back up at the treetop. Then she closed her eyes again, feeling her sleepiness taking over. But as she drifted off, one of her hands had slipped down and wrapped around the handle of a sheathed dagger. "Welcome visitors, huh?" she muttered, barely audible. "I'm not that friendly, you old creep."


End file.
